Footwear.



No. 896,880, PATENTED 'AUG. 25, 1908..

1:'. H. ADDIS. FOTWEAR.

APPLIGATION FILED MM2. 2a, 1908.

M wjaddm r Afomef UNITED .sTATEs PATENT o'EEicE.

FOOTWEAR. l

Application iledMarch 28,

To all whom it may concern: Beit known that I, FREDERICK HENRY AD' Drs, a subject of the King of England, residing at 12 Wellington road, Bridlington, in the county of York, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Footwear, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to an improved shoe I closure, characterized by the following adi stiffening or reinforcement on each quarter,

. plied to a shoe.

whereby on the short lace being secured around a single pair of hooks at the to of the uarters, the entire closure is firm y and c osely held together. Fourthly, while rain and dust are excluded by the external tab, the absence of an inside tongue and of lace underneath the `tab adds to the comfort of lie wearer and promotes ventilation of the oot. In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the invention ap- Fig. 2 shows a portion of the shoe with the closing device on an enlarged scale, and Figs. 3 and 4 are front and sideV views respectively ofthe outside tongue.

The closing device comprises firstly the external tab a, formed of a strong light plate preferably of metal and covered with leather or other suitable covering. It might, however, be enameled orcoated with a suitable. paint or composition. The lower end of this tab is firmly secured to the front seam of the b oot between theupper and the vamp. A

i 'Specification of Letters Patent.

A'Patented Aug. 25,1908.

190s. seainaczassa. l

' ypair of reinforcing strips of strong material are secured to or inclosed in the quarters of the shoe underneath the tab, as indicated in 4dotted lines kin-Fig. 2. These strips may be of any convenient flexible .material The material I refer is stiff buckram, but any other materlal which will give to the quarters the necessary stiffness and elasticity may be employed. At the -up er end of the tab I make two erforations b and upon the upper Iends of the reinforced adjacent edges of the quarters I place -two hooks, catchesor fastenings d d of any convenient form. form preferred is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. A short shoe lace is .attached to the tab by passing it through the holes b b, and this lace when crossed and passed over the hooks in the manner shown,

can be tied in a neat bow and will retain the .closure firmly in place-withoiy t' any lacing.

I am aware that it is not novel to protect the instep of a boot or shoe by an external tongue or tab; norto'constrnct said tab of' The flexible or rigid material; nor to combine such v constructions with ordinary lacing', and I make no claim to such constructions in gen.- eral, but What I. claim is: The improved shoe closure, comprising a stiff external laterally curved tab attached' below to the front seam and havingtwo holes Y near its upper edge, flexible rein orcements 'On each quarter, and Ya Vhook on each quarter, in combination with -a short lace passed through the holes inthe tab -and adapted to be tied round the hooks andsecure the entire closure firmly and closelytogether without lacing.

In testimony whereof` I `have signed my name to this -speciiicat-ionin fthe presence of. two subscribing witnesses.

F. H'. ADDIS.

-Witnesses Y .M D IxoN,

JAMES FISHER. 

